When it comes to something that could potentially save your life or that of your family, it’s good to be prepared. A very important factor of preparedness is keeping adequate food storage. It is recommended by the CDCP that you keep at least three days’ worth of food for each person in your house in case of emergency. This doesn’t have to be a difficult, expensive or time-consuming task. Just accumulate a little at a time and you’ll have what you need before you know it. When the time comes; however, you don’t want to realize that you’ve forgotten something. Even the most prepared can find themselves stuck up a creek without a paddle if they forget something important in their food storage. So in case you want to double check your food storage, here are some of the most commonly forgotten food storage items.

1. Vitamins

There is a good chance that you will not be getting all of the nutrients that your body has come to expect from your regular meals if all you are eating is food storage. This is why it is important to store vitamins in your emergency food storage. Even if it’s the same as the food that you eat on a regular basis, it’s smart to include vitamins to supplement your health regardless.

2. Water

You would be surprised to know how many people forget to store clean water with their food. If any kind of emergency comes up, there is a good chance that water from the tap will not be drinkable. You can store tablets, but those will not help if the water is unavailable altogether. Also, think about all of the times that you use water in a day – for bathing, cleaning, cooking and so on. Make sure that you store enough to consume, in addition to any other needs that you will have.

3. Light Source

Your house may be affected by a power shortage, and if that happens, you will run into trouble if you don’t keep a light source in your storage. If you get a windup flashlight, you won’t have to worry about batteries running out. Store some matches and candles in addition to flashlights.

4. Seasoning

It ‘s good to fill up your food storage with the staples and once you have the basics, you can rest easy in the knowledge that you will survive if disaster strikes. But who wants to merely survive? Herbs and spices come in containers and are easy store. They are also inexpensive, so you can just pick up extra when you go to the store.

Lee Flynn is a freelance writer dedicated to emergency preparedness and food storage.